Best way to transfer ski from one trailer to another. Suggestions???d odeas

[Rollerdog]

I’m looking for suggestions on how to move my ski from one older trailer to a new aluminum trailer with out backing in to water. The ski is winterized and ice is forming on my local body of water.
I have no fork lift or skid loader.

One time years ago I forgot to hook the ski and tipped it up to drain the water and it slid off the trailer. I unwound the strap and hooked it to the ski and cranked it back on the trailer. Nothing was hurt except a few scratches. This is not the way I want to do it!

I am hauling the ski to Florida soon and looking for ideas on how to tackle this. Fire away with ideas.

please and thank you!

[Xspook]

I'm assuming you don't have a "shop cart"??

Mine has come in very handy over the years when I needed to work on the trailer.

Maybe see if it's something your dealer would assist with??

[K447]

If your local dealer is not an option, you can do it with a bunch of semi-strong friends. More than four people is better.

Hook up the old trailer to tow vehicle. Do not skip this step. This keeps the trailer steady even if the tongue weight goes negative.

Tip: Remove the seat, so you can see where the engine is.
Remove all weight from front storage compartment.
Also, if the fuel tank is near empty, that can reduce the weight by about 100 pounds.

Disconnect winch strap and slide watercraft rearwards a few inches, so it clears the winch stand.
Even better, remove the entire winch stand from the old trailer.

Now the tricky part...
With multiple people assisting, lift and rotate the ski sideways/across on the bunks.
Make sure to keep the engine roughly centered over the bunks, as this is approximately where the center of gravity for the watercraft is.

Now continue to rotate the hull on the bunks, so the bow points ‘backwards’ on the trailer. As the hull swings towards the rear, everybody needs to control the hull so it does not fall/slide outside of the bunks, to left or right. Gravity is not your friend if you do not keep the weight centered on/over the bunks.

Note: Make sure there is enough room for the hull rear to clear the winch stand. Even better if winch stand is not there at all.

It is Ok for the hull to be hanging beyond the end of the trailer, as long as the middle of the hull (center of gravity) is supported.

Now slide the new trailer under the hull, and winch it forward onto the new trailer.

Tip: Have the bunks on the new trailer properly positioned (width spacing) before loading the ski.

When the hull is mostly into position, measure/calculate where the winch stand and bow roller need to be. Proper tongue weight and bow roller height against the hull.

Warning: If the bunk boards are weak/rotting, they may not be able to support the hull weight when it is sideways.

Alternate is to winch the hull backwards onto the new trailer, hook it up to tow vehicle, then rotate the hull on the new bunks.

[Rollerdog]

If your local dealer is not an option, you can do it with a bunch of semi-strong friends. More than four people is better.

Hook up the old trailer to tow vehicle. Do not skip this step. This keeps the trailer steady even if the tongue weight goes negative.

Tip: Remove the seat, so you can see where the engine is.
Remove all weight from front storage compartment.
Also, if the fuel tank is near empty, that can reduce the weight by about 100 pounds.

Disconnect winch strap and slide watercraft rearwards a few inches, so it clears the winch stand.
Even better, remove the entire winch stand from the old trailer.

Now the tricky part...
With multiple people assisting, lift and rotate the ski sideways/across on the bunks.
Make sure to keep the engine roughly centered over the bunks, as this is approximately where the center of gravity for the watercraft is.

Now continue to rotate the hull on the bunks, so the bow points ‘backwards’ on the trailer. As the hull swings towards the rear, everybody needs to control the hull so it does not fall/slide outside of the bunks, to left or right. Gravity is not your friend if you do not keep the weight centered on/over the bunks.

Note: Make sure there is enough room for the hull rear to clear the winch stand. Even better if winch stand is not there at all.

It is Ok for the hull to be hanging beyond the end of the trailer, as long as the middle of the hull (center of gravity) is supported.

Now slide the new trailer under the hull, and winch it forward onto the new trailer.

Tip: Have the bunks on the new trailer properly positioned (width spacing) before loading the ski.

When the hull is mostly into position, measure/calculate where the winch stand and bow roller need to be. Proper tongue weight and bow roller height against the hull.

Warning: If the bunk boards are weak/rotting, they may not be able to support the hull weight when it is sideways.

Alternate is to winch the hull backwards onto the new trailer, hook it up to tow vehicle, then rotate the hull on the new bunks.

good info. Thanks!

[HDAV]

Dou you have an engine crane? Lift ski up pull trailer forward slide new trailer under and lower..... or find some soft grass or old tyres drop ski into grass/tyres/hay bales then winch onto new trailer...

easier with roller trailers......often winch a fx off the ground by hand.....

Video here

but replace wooden cart with stacks of old tyres/hay bales etc and you don’t need an ATV either.... on PCD ski is on platform jumpstart pull old trailer forward and replace with new.....then winch off platform onto new trailer

[TimeBandit]

Thinking out loud here ... do you think it would be possible to totally remove the winch post from the old trailer, next drop the tongue to the floor so that the ski and trailer is tilting bow-down. Now, back the new trailer over enough of the front of the old trailer as possible as to get the bunks under/near the front of the ski, as to "bridge" the gap so you can then safely winch the ski forward and onto the new trailer.
Again - just spit-balling here ... this technique will have to be carefully judged on how close you can get the two trailer bunks in alignment.
Silicone the bunks too, to slide better, & blankets/comforters to cover any potential bare-metal to hull contact hazards, etc....

[K447]

Tip: Winch = crank mechanism to pull watercraft forward on trailer

Wench
a: a young woman
b: a female servant

2: a lewd woman

[ocod]

If your coming through Miami I have a good cart FS.

I would tie rear hook to my tree and give slack to winch strap enough to slide cart underneath as I pulled trailer forward with car.
The sketchy part was when nose was coming off front down onto cart, but its works
Made cart higher to account for it. Worked well for VXR or FX

[TimeBandit]

Tip: Winch = crank mechanism to pull watercraft forward on trailer

Wench
a: a young woman
b: a female servant

2: a lewd woman

Noted.
.... and on that note, I'm from Tampa Bay ... and every year around February, we have plenty of wenches and winches out and about during Gasparilla floatilla invasion, so it's all the same - Aaaaarg!

[grumpy_steven]

I've used all of the methods listed. The easiest is to crank the ski off onto a dolly, beach cart or another trailer.

The piggy-back method (removing the winch from one trailer, sliding the tongue under the back of the other and cranking the ski forward) works well, but you'll scratch up both trailers.

Pull the ski onto the new trailer backwards, then have a few friends help to rotate the ski. I recommend supporting the bunks on both trailers (some lumber between the axle and the bunks) to keep the bunks from breaking. Watch to make sure the ride plate doesn't snag on the bunk carpet, or you'll rip the carpet. Or you might want to rotate the ski so that it's backwards on the old trailer, then crank it onto your new one.

With all of these methods, some cooking oil spray on the bunks makes the job easier.